There are trips where it is better not to forget your book. Especially when they last more than 15 hours. Air New Zealand has just joined the small number of airlines that offer ultra-long non-stop flights. The New Zealand carrier opened the longest route in its network this Saturday, September 17, connecting Auckland to New York-JFK, 14,194 kilometers long, with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in about 17 hours.
Departures from Oakland are scheduled on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 19:40, arriving New York-JFK at 19:55 the same day, with a flight time of 16:15. Return flights depart the United States at 9:55pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays to arrive in Auckland two days later at 7:30am with a departure time of 5:35pm. The aircraft can accommodate 18 passengers in Business Class, 21 in Premium and 263 in Economy (including 42 in Skycouch, the company’s sleeper service).
Singapore to New York in 18 hours 35 minutes
Earlier this year, Singapore Airlines resumed its daily ultra-long-haul route between Singapore-Chang and Newark-Liberty Airport near New York. From 24 March 2022, A350-900 ULR flights depart Singapore at 23:35 daily and arrive at 06:00 the following day. Return flights depart the US at 10:25 AM and land the next day at 5:10 PM. Singapore Airlines is the only one operating on this 15,343 kilometer long route. It adds another line operated by the same company that connects the city-state to New York-JFK, five kilometers long but of the same duration.
This option Ultra long distance, with a longer range, has a 161,000-liter tank in the wings, instead of the standard version’s 141,000. Twelve cabin crew members are entitled to four hours of rest during the flight. Only 161 passengers in the cabin were divided into two classes: Business class (67) and Economy Premium (94). The comfort of the latter is not far from the business classes of some other companies…
Source: Le Figaro
